Birding Tour in Uganda
BIRDING KAMPALA AND LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK FOR
SEVEN DAYS:
First Day:
Have breakfast, then head for birding to the Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) previously referred to as the Zoo. This has magnetised more than 170 species of wild birds. 10 species of weavers like the uncommon Northern masked weaver, Golden Backed, African paradise, Baglafect Northern Brown Throated, Grosbeak, Black Necked, among others. 5 species of flycatchers, Red bellied, crested shrike flycatcher, lead coloured, swamp flycatcher and many more. Be faced with Raptors like the Gabar Goshawk, small-banded snake Eagle, shikra. African Goshawk, African Fish eagle, African Hobby and many other species, which include capture animals. Continue to Botanical gardens for another birding experience. Take lunch, relax as you move forward to the evening tour to the sewage lagoons.
Come back for dinner and an overnight.
Second Day:
Rise for breakfast and set off to the Heritage trail. It is a ten minutes drive from the Airport species. What may be viewed include short toed snake Eagle, Brown crowned Tchargra, mssustached, warbler, violet backed starlings, Black, Black cuckoo, Southern Banded snake Eagle and many others. Continue to Lutembe beach and have lunch. Use a boat to look for thousands of Grey Headed Gulls, the papyrus canary, white winged black Tems, papyrus Gonolek and go on birding till evening. Come back for dinner and overnight.
Third Day:
Take breakfast and continue to Mabamba swamps, which is another Important Bird Area (IBA) having a number of around 5 shoebills. The biggest part of birding is done canoeing. Other species to be viewed may include squacco, African water Rail, long Toed plover, Goliath purple, Herons, pygmy Goose, yellow Billed Duck, white faced whistling Duck, Grey and Black Headed Heron, Moorhen, Allen?s Gallinule, Black crake, African Jacana and many others. Sitatunga Antelope or swamp antelope and many others. On the way to Kampala, make a stop over at another swamp, which may display papyrus Gonolek, white winged warbler, yellow crowned Bishop, Weyn?s weaver and many others. Carry packed lunch and continue birding as you have an evening, then dinner plus overnight in Kampala.
Fourth Day:
Have breakfast and en-route to Mabira for mainly forest birding, approximately one hour?s drive from Kampala. Anticipate to find species such as yellow whiskered Greenbul, leaf love, Toro Green bul, Buff spotted woodpecker, Grey spotted woodpecker, white spotted fluff tail, Red headed Blue Bill, yellow spotted Baribet, Grey throated Baribet, Forest Robin, yellow Rumped Tinker bird, yellow Throated Tinker bird, Blue breated kingfisher, African pygmy, shinning blue, woodland kingfishers, Banded wattle eye, Red tailed Ant Thrush, Chin spot Batis, Brown capped, Chestnut wattle aye, yellow mantled, Black billed. Weyn?s weavers, violet backed starling, Red headed Malimbe, purple headed starling, and many other attractive species. Have a picnic lunch and go a head birding till evening.
Fifth Day:
Have breakfast and head to lake Mburo National Park. From Kampala, it is a 4-hours dive. The Park is found in the west of Uganda. Shortly make a stop at the Equator, continue to Lake Mburo while birding up to the entrance of Nchara gate. Anticipate to find the following common scimitarbill, species like; Emerald spotted wood dove, Bare faced Go-Away Bird, Crested Francolin, Green wood Hoopoe, lilac breasted Roller, Spot-flanked Baribet, Northern Black Tit, common scimitarbill, Trilling cisticola, Greater Blue Eared starling, African Grey Hornbill, Brown parrot may be viewed. Have lunch at Rwonyo restaurant. After having lunch, start a late afternoon game drive along the zebra path, which may reveal you to the species such as coqui Franclin, Black Bellied Bustard, Temmricks courser, African wattled plover, Rufous napped Rufous, chested swallow and Flapped Lark, and others. Also search for evasive leopard and other nocturnal species.
Return for dinner and overnight.
Sixth Day:
Take an early morning breakfast, start on a nature walk facing many species of wetland and savannah species of birds, Impalas and many others. Come back for lunch, go for evening game drive along the Kigambira loop. Species to anticipate include; localized Red faced Barbet, Red Headed lovebird, Black collared Barbet, Green capped Eremomela and lead coloured flycatcher. Return for dinner and overnight.
Seventh Day:
We continue for an early morning drive on the lakeside path. This involves encounter to Aquatic habitats around Lake Mburo. Anticipated species may include; white winged warbler, papyrus Gonolek, papyrus yellow warbler, Lesser and Greater swamp warbler and also the elusive shoebills, the Blue headed coucal. Proceed to the lakeside campground, as we search for the African Darter, African water Rail, African fin foot, spur winged plovers, and many more. Come back midmorning and have breakfast then continue for a launch-cruise looking for papyrus species missed, hippos, crocodiles are the anticipated bonus. Head to Kampala, however, make a stop over in Masaka town and take lunch then continue to Uganda?s capital.
But note that, there are two kinds of safaris. Some want luxury safari (lodges or hotels) and other want Budget safaris (camping and simple accommodation). The prices change with the type of accommodation, however, the other activities will remain the same.